[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 192 (Friday, December 14, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S15701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NOMINATION OF THOMAS D. SCHROEDER

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, the Senate continues, as we have all 
year, to make progress filling judicial vacancies by considering yet 
another nomination reported out of Committee this month. The nomination 
before us today for a lifetime appointment to the Federal bench is 
Thomas D. Schroeder, to the Middle District of North Carolina. He has 
the support of both home State Senators. I acknowledge the support of 
Senators Dole and Burr, and want to thank Senator Whitehouse for 
chairing the hearing on this nomination.
  Last month, the Judiciary Committee reached a milestone by voting to 
report our 40th judicial nominee this year. That exceeds the totals 
reported in each of the previous 2 years, when a Republican-led 
Judiciary Committee was considering this President's nominees.
  Thomas D. Schroeder is a Partner at the Winston-Salem, NC, office of 
the law firm of Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Price, PLLC, where he has 
worked almost his entire legal career. Mr. Schroeder served as a law 
clerk for Judge George E. MacKinnon on the U.S. Court of Appeals for 
the DC Circuit. He graduated from Kansas University and Notre Dame Law 
School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Notre Dame Law Review.
  When we confirm the nomination we consider today, the Senate will 
have confirmed 39 nominations for lifetime appointments to the Federal 
bench this session alone. That exceeds the totals confirmed in all of 
2004, 2005, and 2006 when a Republican-led Senate was considering this 
President's nominees; all of 1989; all of 1993, when a Democratic-led 
Senate was considering President Clinton's nominees; all of 1997 and 
1999, when a Republican-led Senate was considering President Clinton's 
nominees; and all of 1996, when the Republican-led Senate did not 
confirm a single one of President Clinton's circuit nominees.
  When this nomination is confirmed, the Senate will have confirmed 139 
total Federal judicial nominees in my tenure as Judiciary Chairman. 
During the Bush Presidency, more circuit judges, more district judges--
more total judges--were confirmed in the first 24 months that I served 
as Judiciary Chairman than during the 2-year tenures of either of the 
two Republican chairmen working with Republican Senate majorities.
  The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts will list 44 judicial 
vacancies and 14 circuit court vacancies after today's confirmations. 
Compare that to the numbers at the end of the 109th Congress, when the 
total vacancies under a Republican controlled Judiciary Committee were 
51 judicial vacancies and 15 circuit court vacancies. That means, that 
despite the additional vacancies that arose at the beginning of the 
110th Congress and throughout this year, the current vacancy totals 
under my chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee are below where they 
were under a Republican led-Judiciary Committee. They are almost half 
of what they were at the end of President Clinton's term, when 
Republican pocket filibusters allowed judicial vacancies to rise above 
100 before settling at 80. Twenty-six of them were for circuit courts.
  When the President consults and sends the Senate well-qualified, 
consensus nominations, we can work together and continue to make 
progress as we are today.
  I congratulate the nominee and his family on his confirmation today.

                          ____________________